1. Background, Saint-Domingue Before the Revolution
From Cape Tiburon to Cape Samaná - A United Hispaniola Timeline
Foreword
From a young age, the story of Haiti fascinated me, a republic of slaves who broke the shackles of the French Empire, and seized their freedom. Unfortunately, such idyllic romanticized scenarios of a republic of freedmen seemed doomed upon birth. From the bloody massacres of white settlers, to the disastrous rule of Jean-Pierre Boyer, Haiti’s economy fueled by the sin of slavery, seemed unable to be purified, and combined with international isolation, and the crippling debt imposed by a French gunboat, Haiti fell apart. After numerous civil wars, a divided kingdom, two empires, and numerous republics, Haiti today is scarcely what we would describe as a successful nation. Amid headlines of assassinated presidents, Kenyan resolutions to deploy police, and stories of gangs dominating a country whose last elected legislators resigned months ago, we are left with a puzzling question. Could Haiti have gone better? Was the dream of a nation of men freed from the bondage of slavery, always doomed to fail? This timeline will endeavor to answer this question.
Haiti is, however; not alone on the island of Hispainola. The Dominican Republic too, was originally conjoined to the Haitian Republic, dreaming of a freed republic. This false hope too was beaten down by a combination of cruelty, debt, and discrimination. Reborn from the collapsing Haitian state, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti remained rivals, with war, massacres, and occupations sparking between them. The hope of a united Hispaniola, buried under centuries of racial animus, and power grabs. I would like to put forward a special thank you to @LuckyLuciano whose answer to a thread post I saw honestly laid a lot of groundwork, and early history.
The timeline I present is not one that will be without struggle, without hate, or without greed. All of these are endemic to humanity, and I could not in good conscience remove them from a story of mine. Instead I merely present a better ending to the Haitian story, than we have currently. The story, which I will tell from the POV of a historian in this alternate modern day Haiti, will cover the pre-revolution background, up to modern day.This is From Cape Tiburon to Cape Samaná - A United Hispaniola Timeline.
Background - Saint-Domingue Before the Revolution
As is commonly known, prior to Haiti’s revolution, it was a typical state in comparison to other Caribbean colonies. Dependent largely upon Europe’s seemingly insatiable lust for sugar, the development of the colony of Saint-Domingue was based upon massive labor intensive plantations. While cocoa, coffee, and indigo were all cultivated, sugar remained the foundation and mainstay of the colony of Saint-Domingue.
The sheer size and scope of the sugar economy can scarcely be perceived by us here in the modern day. 600 ships per year moved from Saint-Domingue to France, more than 1 million frenchmen directly depended upon the colony for their livelihoods. The colony was the richest French colony in the world, and for much of its history one of the richest European colonies in the world.
It should be noted; however, this opulent wealth was built upon some of the most grueling slave labor seen in our modern history. Malaria, and yellow fever thriving in the tropical climates, and barebone conditions most slaves found themselves in, ravaged the population. It is said throughout the 1780’s, the French brought 20-30,000 African slaves to the island. With population mortality rates of 50%, slave women often married multiple men, as it was far more likely they’d lose a husband, or multiple. These grim conditions were made worse by the abuses of the slave owning class, who squeezed every ounce of value from their slaves, preferring to work them to death, than provide any accommodations. In the slave owners view, they were as good as dead anyway.
Since 1795, the island of Hispaniola had been entirely unified under French rule, bringing an end to centuries of conflict, and scheming over control of the island. However, with the advent of slave rebellions and general instability since 1791, France had little time to enjoy their prize.
A Society in Full Breakdown
Saint-Domingue’s population was rigidly stratified based upon wealth, and race. There were in 1789, 40,000 whites, 28,000 freed blacks, and mixed race people of color, and 452,000 slaves. This population, while being wildly unbalanced, and unfair, had numerous social classes, the concentrated wealth into a vanishingly small number of elites.
At the bottom of the caste system, were the black slaves. Outnumbering every other class by as much as 10 to 1, the black and mixed enslaved class, was considered the blood the greased the wheels of French colonialism, and the French colonial economy. Expendable, numerous, and without any rights, life in Saint-Domingue was hell on earth for the enslaved class.
Just slightly above the enslaved african class, were mixed race slaves. Often having a father who was of the slaveholding class, or the various slave overseers, the mixed slaves were often born of violence, and pushed into a violent world. While facing the same grim conditions, and life expectancy as African slaves, their proximity, and familial ties to the slave owners, and overseers, meant that occasionally they would be freed, or face some kinder treatment, in a horrific twisted form.
Escaped slaves were the most hated group by the French. Known as maroons or marrons in French, escaped slaves were those who had managed to free themselves, and run away from slave plantations. They would hide in the mountains of Saint-Domingue, practicing subsistence agriculture, and hunting. Forming very close knit communities, the maroons were a model of self reliance, as there was no ability to contact or go near French society, meaning they could only rely upon themselves. While not as hazardous as being a french slave, the outlook for a Maroon was still rather bleak. Exposure, disease, famine, drought, or even slave catchers, could spell the end for this class of freedmen.
Meanwhile, there were other slaves on the island who weren’t African, or Mixed-African. There was a small number of white French indentured servants, many of whom had exchanged their freedom, for debts bondage, and a place in the New World. While they still had little in the way of money, and still suffered disease, and abuse, they were somewhat better off than African slaves. Indentured servants were usually protected under the law from egregious abuses. Rarely, after their term, an indentured servant would pursue compensation or other legal action against their employer, if they had been particularly abused. This form of redress would never be offered to the enslaved african, and mixed-african classes below them.
Some slaves managed to be freed through some way or another. Often being the child of a slave owner and a slave, sometimes the father would free the slave, in some pang of familial bond. These poor freedmen were a small but noticeable underclass. While having more rights than slaves, they had little in the way of true legal equality, living on the societal peripheries.
The second highest class were the so-called petit blancs, or little whites. These were the merchants, slave sellers, blacksmiths, small farmers, or the various administrative officials. The petit blancs dominated most professional positions. Generally on the same levels were poor french farmers, who could not afford the massive sprawling plantations as the grand blancs
The upper class was those wealthy planters who owned large plantations. Interestingly this upper class was split into two, on the lower end were some mixed-africans who managed to become wealthy slave owners in their own right. It’s estimated 1/3rd of plantation property, and 1/4th of slaves were owned by free mixed-africans. Nonetheless, they had numerous social restrictions placed upon them even owning property, and slaves. Freedmen were restricted from most major professions like medicine, or holding public office. So even their land and property was a cage they could not escape. The grand blancs or great whites, were the highest level of Haitian society, being wealthy white landowners. Lording over society, the vast majority of colonial wealth sat in their hands.
Such a society was immensely unstable, grand blancs wished to keep the status quo of their society, and continue to profit off slave labor. The black/mixed-african landowning class wished to be recognized as equal to whites. Poor whites and petit blancs felt a tinge of desire to have the lands, and wealth of their perceived lesser, landholding blacks/mixed-africans, as well as, the legal and social rights that the grand blancs had. Maroons continued their raids to free family members from plantations whenever they could, and above all slaves wanted to be free from their bondage entirely. An unsteady house of cards, Saint-Domingue society would come crashing down with the start of the Haitian Revolution.
Foreword
From a young age, the story of Haiti fascinated me, a republic of slaves who broke the shackles of the French Empire, and seized their freedom. Unfortunately, such idyllic romanticized scenarios of a republic of freedmen seemed doomed upon birth. From the bloody massacres of white settlers, to the disastrous rule of Jean-Pierre Boyer, Haiti’s economy fueled by the sin of slavery, seemed unable to be purified, and combined with international isolation, and the crippling debt imposed by a French gunboat, Haiti fell apart. After numerous civil wars, a divided kingdom, two empires, and numerous republics, Haiti today is scarcely what we would describe as a successful nation. Amid headlines of assassinated presidents, Kenyan resolutions to deploy police, and stories of gangs dominating a country whose last elected legislators resigned months ago, we are left with a puzzling question. Could Haiti have gone better? Was the dream of a nation of men freed from the bondage of slavery, always doomed to fail? This timeline will endeavor to answer this question.
Haiti is, however; not alone on the island of Hispainola. The Dominican Republic too, was originally conjoined to the Haitian Republic, dreaming of a freed republic. This false hope too was beaten down by a combination of cruelty, debt, and discrimination. Reborn from the collapsing Haitian state, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti remained rivals, with war, massacres, and occupations sparking between them. The hope of a united Hispaniola, buried under centuries of racial animus, and power grabs. I would like to put forward a special thank you to @LuckyLuciano whose answer to a thread post I saw honestly laid a lot of groundwork, and early history.
The timeline I present is not one that will be without struggle, without hate, or without greed. All of these are endemic to humanity, and I could not in good conscience remove them from a story of mine. Instead I merely present a better ending to the Haitian story, than we have currently. The story, which I will tell from the POV of a historian in this alternate modern day Haiti, will cover the pre-revolution background, up to modern day.This is From Cape Tiburon to Cape Samaná - A United Hispaniola Timeline.
Background - Saint-Domingue Before the Revolution
As is commonly known, prior to Haiti’s revolution, it was a typical state in comparison to other Caribbean colonies. Dependent largely upon Europe’s seemingly insatiable lust for sugar, the development of the colony of Saint-Domingue was based upon massive labor intensive plantations. While cocoa, coffee, and indigo were all cultivated, sugar remained the foundation and mainstay of the colony of Saint-Domingue.
The sheer size and scope of the sugar economy can scarcely be perceived by us here in the modern day. 600 ships per year moved from Saint-Domingue to France, more than 1 million frenchmen directly depended upon the colony for their livelihoods. The colony was the richest French colony in the world, and for much of its history one of the richest European colonies in the world.
It should be noted; however, this opulent wealth was built upon some of the most grueling slave labor seen in our modern history. Malaria, and yellow fever thriving in the tropical climates, and barebone conditions most slaves found themselves in, ravaged the population. It is said throughout the 1780’s, the French brought 20-30,000 African slaves to the island. With population mortality rates of 50%, slave women often married multiple men, as it was far more likely they’d lose a husband, or multiple. These grim conditions were made worse by the abuses of the slave owning class, who squeezed every ounce of value from their slaves, preferring to work them to death, than provide any accommodations. In the slave owners view, they were as good as dead anyway.
Since 1795, the island of Hispaniola had been entirely unified under French rule, bringing an end to centuries of conflict, and scheming over control of the island. However, with the advent of slave rebellions and general instability since 1791, France had little time to enjoy their prize.
A Society in Full Breakdown
Saint-Domingue’s population was rigidly stratified based upon wealth, and race. There were in 1789, 40,000 whites, 28,000 freed blacks, and mixed race people of color, and 452,000 slaves. This population, while being wildly unbalanced, and unfair, had numerous social classes, the concentrated wealth into a vanishingly small number of elites.
At the bottom of the caste system, were the black slaves. Outnumbering every other class by as much as 10 to 1, the black and mixed enslaved class, was considered the blood the greased the wheels of French colonialism, and the French colonial economy. Expendable, numerous, and without any rights, life in Saint-Domingue was hell on earth for the enslaved class.
Just slightly above the enslaved african class, were mixed race slaves. Often having a father who was of the slaveholding class, or the various slave overseers, the mixed slaves were often born of violence, and pushed into a violent world. While facing the same grim conditions, and life expectancy as African slaves, their proximity, and familial ties to the slave owners, and overseers, meant that occasionally they would be freed, or face some kinder treatment, in a horrific twisted form.
Escaped slaves were the most hated group by the French. Known as maroons or marrons in French, escaped slaves were those who had managed to free themselves, and run away from slave plantations. They would hide in the mountains of Saint-Domingue, practicing subsistence agriculture, and hunting. Forming very close knit communities, the maroons were a model of self reliance, as there was no ability to contact or go near French society, meaning they could only rely upon themselves. While not as hazardous as being a french slave, the outlook for a Maroon was still rather bleak. Exposure, disease, famine, drought, or even slave catchers, could spell the end for this class of freedmen.
Meanwhile, there were other slaves on the island who weren’t African, or Mixed-African. There was a small number of white French indentured servants, many of whom had exchanged their freedom, for debts bondage, and a place in the New World. While they still had little in the way of money, and still suffered disease, and abuse, they were somewhat better off than African slaves. Indentured servants were usually protected under the law from egregious abuses. Rarely, after their term, an indentured servant would pursue compensation or other legal action against their employer, if they had been particularly abused. This form of redress would never be offered to the enslaved african, and mixed-african classes below them.
Some slaves managed to be freed through some way or another. Often being the child of a slave owner and a slave, sometimes the father would free the slave, in some pang of familial bond. These poor freedmen were a small but noticeable underclass. While having more rights than slaves, they had little in the way of true legal equality, living on the societal peripheries.
The second highest class were the so-called petit blancs, or little whites. These were the merchants, slave sellers, blacksmiths, small farmers, or the various administrative officials. The petit blancs dominated most professional positions. Generally on the same levels were poor french farmers, who could not afford the massive sprawling plantations as the grand blancs
The upper class was those wealthy planters who owned large plantations. Interestingly this upper class was split into two, on the lower end were some mixed-africans who managed to become wealthy slave owners in their own right. It’s estimated 1/3rd of plantation property, and 1/4th of slaves were owned by free mixed-africans. Nonetheless, they had numerous social restrictions placed upon them even owning property, and slaves. Freedmen were restricted from most major professions like medicine, or holding public office. So even their land and property was a cage they could not escape. The grand blancs or great whites, were the highest level of Haitian society, being wealthy white landowners. Lording over society, the vast majority of colonial wealth sat in their hands.
Such a society was immensely unstable, grand blancs wished to keep the status quo of their society, and continue to profit off slave labor. The black/mixed-african landowning class wished to be recognized as equal to whites. Poor whites and petit blancs felt a tinge of desire to have the lands, and wealth of their perceived lesser, landholding blacks/mixed-africans, as well as, the legal and social rights that the grand blancs had. Maroons continued their raids to free family members from plantations whenever they could, and above all slaves wanted to be free from their bondage entirely. An unsteady house of cards, Saint-Domingue society would come crashing down with the start of the Haitian Revolution.
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